Comrade Abubakar Sadiq, the National Youth Leader, North-West APC, and Chairman APC integrity Group responds to issues bordering on the APC Caretaker Committee under the Chairmanship of Governor Mai Mala Buni, the Membership registration, and National Convention.
APC News Online: kindly introduce yourself, please
Abubakar Sadiq: By the grace of God, I am Comrade Abubakar Sadiq from Kebbi state, I am a member of the 
National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party and I’m the National Youth leader of APC in charge of the northwest zone, then by extension double as the chairman of APC non-national working committee, NEC Integrity group. The integrity group is a forum mainly for the members of the Non-working Committee of the National Executive Committee of the party, we have non-NWC which are the elected national executive representatives of the party, we are thirty-nine in number, we are elected at the same time, the same process with the NWC which they are twenty-one in number, so the forum is mainly for the elected Non-National Working Committee members of the party.
As leaders of the party, we have a mandate to make sure that at least, that all our campaign promises, are fulfilled and we oversee the affairs of the party, we are working towards making sure things would be perfect on the mandate of the people that gave APC leadership. I’m the only elected national executive committee member coming from my state, Kebbi State, likewise, other people, you can see the mandate is not a small mandate, representing at the National Executive Committee, to make sure that things should be done the right way, that is what we are doing and we are supporting the NWC and this caretaker committee and you know the NEC is a large house, even the President by virtue of his position is a member of NEC, the Vice President, all the progressive Governors are members of NEC and the National Assembly two-two senators per zone are members of NEC, and the three-three house of Rep members are also members of NEC, so you can see when you calculate, the numbers are much even the state chairmen of the party are also members of NEC, so we are the nationally elected members of NEC. Some months ago, as a result of a lot of protests from the national executive members when things were not going well, we had to protest to make sure we save the party because we so much believe as the national executives that we have the mandate of the state, of the zone, we should come together and do everything possible to make sure that we save the party. The former NWC had a lot of lapses with the way and manner they handled the affairs of the party, that is why we as the NEC members decided to come together and fight for the cause to make sure we take the position because it is only the NEC members that has the constitutional mandate, the constitutional power to dissolve or to rectify anything that has to do with the NWC, that is why we so much believed things were not working well and the only way to do it is to come together to make a decision, that is what came about the dissolution of the former NWC and what came about the 13-man committee of the national caretaker committee.
APC News Online: what is the performance of the Caretaker Committee so far?
Abubakar Sadiq: I can tell you that a lot of things have changed, despite the fact that we have a lot of internal crises. The caretaker committee have primary responsibility, they have a mandate given to them, one of them is to make sure that aggrieved members are reconciled back to the party, which they are doing their best. You can see even the former speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogora, that left the party out of anger, the chairman of the caretaker committee and governor of Yobe state, His Excellency Mai Mala Buni has worked towards reconciling and see how he can bring back these people, and more of them are still coming back to the party, these are the mandate given to them and they are doing their best and the other mandate is to see how they can review the membership registration drive which a committee as putting in place, and the other mandate too is for them to see the possibility of coming with a constitutional review before doing either mini convention or large convention and their mandate clearly is for six months and I think they are in three months now when there is a lot of damage, you know you cannot fix it overnight, but they are seriously trying, recently there was the election in Ondo though we lost in Edo, we have a lot of internal crises and we are managing it. The outcome of Ondo can tell you that things are changing for good, so I’m hoping so many things will change for good with the leadership of this caretaker committee, I think we are overcoming the challenges gradually.
APC News Online: What is your thought on the issue of the National Convention?
Abubakar Sadiq: On the issue of convention coming, you know the caretaker committee are the people running the day to day administrative aspect of it, we as the NEC member, whatever they do, they will call for the meeting to brief us and seek for approval, I believe they are working towards that, and very soon they will call for the NEC meeting when they call for the NEC meeting, then they will be able to brief the entire NEC what they have done so far and what they intend doing, and whatever the NEC agrees, that is what the public will hear. The issue of the convention, I cannot say anything, for now, even us are still waiting for the brief coming from the caretaker committee when they call for the NEC meeting.
APC News Online: What is your opinion on the Performance of PMB?
Abubakar Sadiq: We are in government now and as a party, in government, our responsibility is to deliver the dividend of democracy to Nigerians, which we are doing our best, in this second term of PMB, we are one year plus with a mandate of four years, we are trying to consolidate our party and to make sure that at least our program and achievements and a lot of things that this government is bringing in terms of dividends of democracy reach down to the grassroots, which the government is doing so much, the President has done so much by initiating a lot of laudable programs, projects and a lot of empowerment programs which we are encouraging people to key in so that they can take advantage of these opportunities because never in the history of this country, no president has initiated a lot of empowerment program that has to do with youth empowerment, women, social intervention, so many things are there. I think we are concentrating on giving good governance under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari under the platform of APC as a party.
APC News Online: What can you say about APC News Online?
Abubakar Sadiq: We expected these things to come before now, and I believe coming up with APC NewsOnline is a very good thing and it’s timely, it comes in a very good time, at least the way and manner people project the achievements and development programs and plans and so many things this government has done under the platform of APC is not even reaching the way we expect based on what we have done. I believe with this News Online, a lot of Nigerians will get to know what this administration is doing under the APC under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. We really appreciate it as the party leader, we will do everything possible to keep on giving the support and we are going to talk to other leaders to make sure they give maximum support and cooperation to the APC NewsOnline because this is what we can call our own because other media at times you see they only celebrate anything bad about the government, you see them jubilating and celebrating and start projecting it, but when it comes to the good news that has to do with our government, you see them at times keeping quiet, but now with the APC NewsOnline, we are good to go, you guys will stand and do the good work and make sure that we project all our achievements as a government. APC NewsOnline is one of the best things that has happened to our party, I encourage all the lovers, followers, all the people that stand to vote for APC in 2015 and 2019 to patronize and continue watching APC NewsOnline, that is where you will see the good thing and opportunity that the APC government is bringing to you.
Thank you
